UK PM Theresa May Says She’s ‘Not a Quitter’, Setting Twitter Afire

The British prime minister has arrived in China for a visit amid criticism over the leaked paper on Brexit consequences.

Responding to questions on her future as UK prime minister and whether she is going to lead Tories into the next election amid speculation she could face a leadership challenge, Theresa May said, “I’m not a quitter,” adding that “first and foremost, I’m serving my country and my party.”

May said that the government job was “about getting the best Brexit deal, it’s about ensuring that we take back control of our money, our laws, our borders, that we can sign trade deals around the rest of the world,” adding that her cabinet is “working on that on a day-to-day basis.”

The UK Conservatives “need to ensure that we do speak about the achievements that we’ve seen,” she added.

Theresa May’s remark about her not being a “quitter” has prompted a Twitter storm with memes. Many have questioned the statement as the country is going through a hard divorce process with the EU.

"I'm not a quitter", but I will abandon my stated position, I'll fold under the pressure of my appointed cabinet ministers & I'll happily take a u-turn after the integrity of my decisions are challenged.#Brexit[2]#May[3]#Tories[4]#ImpactAssessments[5]

Theresa May says ‘I’m not a quitter’ when asked if she’s going to resign. But she quit her pre-referendum Remain stance. She’s trying to get us to quit the EU in the face of all evidence that doing so is destructive folly. What she means is she won’t quit her own self-interest.

May arrived in China amid criticism over a leaked document on Brexit’s impact[14] on the UK economy. According to the paper, which is part of a range of analysis across the government on the country’s withdrawal from the European Union, as May’s spokesman said, irrespective of the deal clinched between London and Brussels[15], UK’s economic growth will slow down outside bloc.

According to the prime minister, “There are huge trade opportunities in China that we want to help British businesses take advantage of.”Earlier this week, May wrote in an op-ed in the UK’s Financial Times newspaper that China “is delivering a new source of capital that — with the appropriate safeguards in place — can help us to invest in the future of our country,” adding that it means more jobs for Britons and a stonger national economy in general.